Neighborhood History

Neighborhoods explained by resident experts and also abbreviated guided tours of the Neighborhood Heritage Trails, the Official Walking Trails of Washington, DC. (WalkingTown DC is the only time during the year that historians and community leaders conduct tours of these trails, which are otherwise self-guided.)

Saturday, September 22
11 am-12:30 pm

A Neighborhood Gem East of the Anacostia River: The Greater Deanwood Heritage Trail

Meet at Minnesota Avenue Metro station, Minnesota Ave. exit at the top of the escalator, 4000 Minnesota Ave., NE.
End at Deanwood Metro station, 4720 Minnesota Ave., NE.
Neighborhood: Deanwood

Nearest Metro Start: Minnesota Avenue
Nearest Metro End: Deanwood

Fitness: Low, 1.5 miles
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

The boundaries of Deanwood vary - depending upon what generation of Deanwoodian you ask. Come explore a few of the historically significant parts of this neighborhood tucked just inside the city's eastern border. Learn about the only amusement park ever to be housed within the boundaries of the District, the green space, as well as the entrepreneurial, self-sufficient men, women, and families who have called this part of the city home for generations.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC and led by Chair of the Deanwood History Committee Kia Chatmon.

Monday, September 24
6-7:30 pm

Downtown Jewish Washington

Meet inside the Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum, 701 Third St., NW. End outside Greater New Hope Baptist Church, Eighth and I Sts., NW.
Neighborhood: Downtown

Nearest Metro Start: Judiciary Square, National Building Museum exit or Georgetown-Union Station Circulator bus
Nearest Metro End: Gallery Pl-Chinatown

Fitness: Low, .75 miles
Reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

Downtown Washington, DC is the place where Jews lived, worked, and worshipped in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The tour includes four former synagogues, government buildings, residences, and businesses in what was once the hub of Jewish Washington.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington and led by Elissa Frankle, JHSGW tour guide.

Note: Tour is specifically aimed at young professionals.

Tuesday, September 25
12 noon-1 pm

Discover the History and Development of Mount Vernon Triangle

Sponsored by: 

Meet and end at Carnegie Library at 8th and K Sts., NW.
Neighborhood: Mount Vernon Triangle

Nearest Metro Start: Gallery Pl-Chinatown or Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center or Georgetown-Union Station Circulator bus
Nearest Metro End: Gallery Pl-Chinatown or Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center

Fitness: Moderate, .5 miles
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

Discover Mount Vernon Triangle to learn about the history and recent development of this once forgotten neighborhood, including its rebirth with new retail, offices, and apartments. This tour will include a walk past the remaining historic buildings, discussion about the social and economic forces that lead to its decline and current revitalization. You will also have a chance to visit a new apartemnt, office building, or a historic church.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District and led by Executive Director William McLeod.

Tuesday, September 25
7-9 pm

Embassy Row: Families and Fortunes

Meet outside Dupont Circle Metro station, South exit by the entrance to Panera Bread on 19th St., NW. Note: This Metro station exit is closed for escalator replacement. If arriving by Metrorail, use Dupont Circle North exit and walk south through Dupont C End at The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St., NW.
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle

Nearest Metro Start: Dupont Circle
Nearest Metro End: Dupont Circle

Fitness: Low, 3 miles
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
THIS TOUR IS FULL/AT CAPACITY

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

Whether you call them robber barons or captains of industry, dub their heyday industrial or gilded, today we can revel in the Beaux-Arts grandeur of their former residences on Washington’s Massachusetts Avenue, better known as Embassy Row. The tour meets at Dupont Circle and introduces you to members of the first ranks of mining, railroads, banking, publishing, politicians, and speculators in the 1880s and 1890s. Spendthrift offspring, the Great Depression and other misfortune eventually drained the resources of many families. Many of their mansions were purchased for as little as 10 cents on a dollar. But in between, the high life and high architecture has made for some great stories. The walk ends outside the magnificent Phillips Collection museum, former residence of steel heir and avid art collector Duncan Phillips.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Washington Walks and led by Washington Walks tour guide Nicole Pearo Taylor.

Wednesday, September 26
6-7:30 pm

If this Street Could Talk - 8th Street South East Neighborhood Since 1795

Meet and end at Eastern Market Metro station, Eighth St. and Pennsylvania Ave., SE.
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill

Nearest Metro Start: Eastern Market or Union Station-Navy Yard via Capitol Hill Circulator bus to Eastern Market Metro Plaza
Nearest Metro End: Eastern Market or Union Station-Navy Yard via Capitol Hill Circulator bus from the corner of 8th and G St.

Fitness: Moderate, 1 mile
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

Explore the oldest commercial corridor in the District - designed by L'Enfant in1791 to connect the newly established port of Washington to the Capitol (under construction in 1792). See the oldest "model home" in the District built by a British land speculator who hoped to cash in on American's desire to live in the brand new Federal City.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Barracks Row Main Street and and led by local writer and tour guide for Barracks Row and the Smithsonian Sharon Bosworth.

Note: We will tour Marine Barracks Washington established in 1801.

Thursday, September 27
6-7 pm

Discover the History and Development of Mount Vernon Triangle

Sponsored by:

Meet and end at Carnegie Library at 8th and K Sts., NW.
Neighborhood: Mount Vernon Triangle

Nearest Metro Start: Gallery Pl-Chinatown or Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center or Georgetown-Union Station Circulator bus
Nearest Metro End: Gallery Pl-Chinatown or Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center

Fitness: Moderate, .5 miles
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

Discover Mount Vernon Triangle to learn about the history and recent development of this once forgotten neighborhood, including its rebirth with new retail, offices, and apartments. This tour will include a walk past the remaining historic buildings, discussion about the social and economic forces that lead to its decline and current revitalization. You will also have a chance to visit a new apartemnt, office building, or a historic church.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District and led by Executive Director William McLeod.

Friday, September 28
12 noon-1 pm

Penn Quarter

Meet outside Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Metro station, 701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.
Neighborhood: Penn Quarter, Downtown

Nearest Metro Start: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter
Nearest Metro End: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter

 

Fitness: Low, 1 mile
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

“Penn Quarter” describes downtown's Seventh Street corridor, where the 19th century meets the 21st. Hip hotels, restaurants and loft apartments continue to sprout up amidst attractions like the International Spy Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Shakespeare Theatre and National Building Museum. Most of these are housed in buildings constructed during the 1800s, making this walk an irresistible urban scavenger hunt to discover a bygone era--a time when Chinese, German and Italian immigrants lived and worked on and around Seventh Street. If you know where to look, you can find the old U.S. Patent Office where newcomer Emile Berliner filed applications for the first microphone and disk record ever invented, where shopkeepers once “lived above” and “worked below,” and the ornate archway welcoming you to DC’s Chinatown.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Washington Walks and led by Washington Walks Founder Carolyn Crouch.

Saturday, September 29
9-10:30 am

If this Street Could Talk - 8th Street South East Neighborhood Since 1795

Meet and end at Eastern Market Metro station, Eighth St. and Pennsylvania Ave., SE.
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill

Nearest Metro Start: Eastern Market or Union Station-Navy Yard via Capitol Hill Circulator bus to Eastern Market Metro Plaza
Nearest Metro End: Eastern Market or Union Station-Navy Yard via Capitol Hill Circulator bus from the corner of 8th and G St.

 

Fitness: Moderate, 1 mile
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

Explore the oldest commercial corridor in the District - designed by L'Enfant in1791 to connect the newly established port of Washington to the Capitol (under construction in 1792). See the oldest "model home" in the District built by a British land speculator who hoped to cash in on American's desire to live in the brand new Federal City.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Barracks Row Main Street and and led by local writer and tour guide for Barracks Row and the Smithsonian Sharon Bosworth.

Note: We will tour Marine Barracks Washington established in 1801.

Saturday, September 29
11 am-12 noon

Historic Chevy Chase DC

Meet and end at Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave., NW, one block south of Chevy Chase Circle.
Neighborhood: Chevy Chase

Nearest Metro Start: Friendship Heights
Nearest Metro End: Friendship Heights

Fitness: Low, .5 miles
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

Tour the historic areas of Chevy Chase DC, including residential and commercial structures along the Connecticut Avenue corridor.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Historic Chevy Chase DC, Inc. and led by tour guide Keene Taylor, Jr.

Saturday, September 29
11 am-1 pm

Renewing Urban Renewal Highlighting “River Farms to Urban Towers” Neighborhood Heritage Trail

Meet outside Waterfront Metro station, 399 M St., SW. End near Seventh St. and Maine Ave., SW.
Neighborhood: Southwest Waterfront

Nearest Metro Start: Waterfront
Nearest Metro End:   Waterfront

Fitness: Low, 1 mile
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

The Southwest Waterfront is not only a perfect spot for a walk along the Washington Channel, but also home to the Titanic Memorial, the city’s oldest row of houses, a marina and a colorful fish market. Since Pierre L’Enfant drafted the first city plans for the District of Columbia, Southwest has been home to a diverse community that has included wealthy speculators, free blacks and European immigrants. And that covers just part of the story. Learn how urban renewal of the 1960s and architects like Chloethiel Woodard Smith used the vocabulary of modernism to design enduring residential communities.
Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Washington Walks and led by Washington Walks Founder Carolyn Crouch.

Saturday, September 29
11:30 am-1 pm

Rowdies, Madams, and Painted Women: An Adults-Only Tour of Hooker's Division

Meet and end outside Federal Triangle Metro station, 302 12th St., NW.
Neighborhood: Downtown

Nearest Metro Start: Federal Triangle
Nearest Metro End: Federal Triangle

Fitness: Low, .5 miles
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

"Hooker's Division," between 10th and 14th Streets south of Pennsylvania Avenue, was Washington's premier red-light district from the Civil War to the eve of World War I. This tour will trace the social and economic development of the area and highlight some of the most interesting places and dangerous people in this historic neighborhood.

Presented and led by historian Dr. Mark Herlong.

Saturday, September 29
12 noon-1:30 pm

Devil Dogs, Boxer Briefs, and DC's Deadliest Tragedy: Adams Morgan's Journey from Suburb to Anti-Suburb

Meet at 16th St. and Florida Ave., NW, by Heritage Trail Sign #1. End at 18th St. and Columbia Rd., NW, by Heritage Trail Sign #9.
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan

Nearest Metro Start: U Street/African American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo or Woodley Park-Adams Morgan-McPherson Square Circulator bus or S and 90 Metrobuses
Nearest Metro End: Woodley Park-Zoo-Adams Morgan or Woodley Park-Adams Morgan-McPherson Square Metro Circulator bus or 42, 90, L2 Metrobuses

Fitness: Low, 1 mile
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

Jimi Hendrix, a White House 2.0 to put Versailles to shame, pro-wrestling at the Harris Teeter, and DC's greatest single-day peacetime loss of life are just some of the many things you’ll learn about and sights you’ll see as you follow this tour through the heart of Adams Morgan. You'll be fascinated to learn that DC's proudest hub of urban funkiness started its life as a suburb. Join us for quirky look at neighborhood history.

Presented by Josh Gibson, co-founder of the Adams Morgan Heritage Trail, co-author of "Adams Morgan: Then and Now," co-founder of the Adams Morgan listserv, founder of the Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District, and former 2.5 term ANC commisioner. 

Note: Tour will be cancelled in case of rain.

Saturday, September 29
12 noon-1:30 pm

Brookland: A Historic Overview

Meet and end at St. Anthony’s School, 3400 12th St., NE.
Neighborhood: Brookland

Nearest Metro Start: Brookland-CUA or 81 Metrobus to 12th Street
Nearest Metro End: Brookland-CUA or 81 Metrobus to 12th Street

Fitness: Low, 1 mile
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

Explore the central Brookland district and learn the origins of this residential neighborhood. Glimpse important sites associated with Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (author of The Yearling), Robert Weaver (United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), Lorraine Hansberry (author of A Raisin in the Sun), and other famous Brookland residents; and learn the relationship between Catholic University, Howard University, and the neighborhood.

Presented by Brookland Tour Committee and led by long-time Brookland residents and committee members.

Note: Tour will be cancelled in case of rain.

Saturday, September 29
1-4 pm

Gimme 5! Ward 5 Bike Tour

Meet and end outside NoMa-Gallaudet U (New York Ave) Metro station, Second St. and Florida Ave.
Neighborhood: NoMa

Nearest Metro Start: NoMa-Gallaudet U (New York Ave)
Nearest Metro End: NoMa-Gallaudet U (New York Ave)

Fitness: Moderate, 5+ miles
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

This ride goes off the beaten path exploring the sights of one of fastest growing sections of the city, Ward 5. Riding the Metropolitan Branch Trail, we pass a new DC brewery, and proceed to “Little Rome” which includes The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, St. Paul’s College, Trinity Washington University, The Catholic University of America, and a Franciscan Monastery. We pass Ft. Totten, ride to The National Arboretum, and pass Gallaudet University on our return.

Presented by Ward 5 resident and DC Bicycle Advisory Council Representative Jeanie Osburn.

Note: Bike helmets required. Bike locks recommended.

Saturday, September 29
2-4 pm

Southwest Waterfront: From Watermen to Wreckers to “The Wharf” Highlighting “River Farms to Urban Towers”

Neighborhood Heritage Trail
Meet outside Waterfront Metro station, 399 M St., SW.
Neighborhood: Southwest Waterfront

Nearest Metro Start: Waterfront
Nearest Metro End:   Waterfront

Fitness: Low
Reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

In less than 200 years Washington’s Southwest waterfront has morphed from a small collection of late 18th-century brick buildings along the Potomac River to a large group of mid 1960s structures of steel and concrete. In between, the riverside has been the site of a conflagration during the War of 1812, the largest escape attempt by slaves in U.S. history, the execution of the “Lincoln Conspirators,” a clinic providing medical treatment to both black and white neighbors, fish and produce sellers, and even bodies on ice in the District of Columbia Morgue. Next year, another chapter in the waterfront’s identity is poised to be written when the development team Hoffman-Madison Marquette begins to construct that which has eluded its predecessors: a lively and vibrant destination for locals and visitors alike.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Washington Walks and led by Washington Walks Founder Carolyn Crouch.

Saturday, September 29
3-5 pm

A Fitting Tribute: The Logan Circle Neighborhood Heritage Trail - A Preview

Meet at the fountain outside the Q Street entrance of the Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St., NW. End at the corner of 14th St. and Rhode Island Ave., NW.
Neighborhood: Logan Circle

Nearest Metro Start: Dupont Circle or Woodley Park-Adams Morgan-McPherson Square Circulator bus
Nearest Metro End: Dupont Circle

Fitness: Moderate, 1.5 miles
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

The Civil War nearly ruined Washington, DC, but the city survived the battles just like the country; scarred but not torn apart. A Fitting Tribute leads you through the Logan Circle neighborhood named after the man who proclaimed May 30, 1868, Memorial Day and led the decoration of graves in Arlington Cemetery as "a fitting tribute" to the memory of those who died to defend the Union. John A. Logan is one of several people that you will come to know through a tour that introduces you to the array of individuals, community facts and neighborhood legends that make the Logan Circle neighborhood one of DC's most storied communities. Come and see how a community survived the battles of a nation at war and later, a city in transition, to emerge as a thriving place for residents, artists, businesses and visitors.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Logan Circle Community Association and led by Association President Tim Christensen.

Note about directions: From Dupont Circle Metro station, North exit at 20th and Q Sts., NW, turn right off the escalator and cross Connecticut Ave., NW. Continue 3-1/2 blocks to 16th and Q Sts., NW. From McPherson Square Metro station, White House exit.

Sunday, September 30
10-11:30 am

If this Street Could Talk - 8th Street South East Neighborhood Since 1795

Meet and end at Eastern Market Metro station, Eighth St. and Pennsylvania Ave., SE.
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill

Nearest Metro Start: Eastern Market or Union Station-Navy Yard via Capitol Hill Circulator bus to Eastern Market Metro Plaza
Nearest Metro End: Eastern Market or Union Station-Navy Yard via Capitol Hill Circulator bus from the corner of 8th and G St.,

Fitness: Moderate, 1 mile
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

Explore the oldest commercial corridor in the District - designed by L'Enfant in1791 to connect the newly established port of Washington to the Capitol (under construction in 1792). See the oldest "model home" in the District built by a British land speculator who hoped to cash in on American's desire to live in the brand new Federal City.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Barracks Row Main Street and and led by local writer and tour guide for Barracks Row and the Smithsonian Sharon Bosworth.

Note: We will tour Marine Barracks Washington established in 1801.

Sunday, September 30
10 am-12 noon

Georgetown

Meet in the park at 28th St. and Pennsylvania Ave., NW, next to the gas station. End near 34th and M Sts., NW.
Neighborhood: Georgetown

Nearest Metro Start: Foggy Bottom or Georgetown-Union Station Circulator bus
Nearest Metro End: Foggy Bottom or Georgetown-Union Station Circulator bus

Fitness: Moderate, 1.3 miles
Reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

To put it simply, a walk through Washington’s tony Georgetown neighborhood is a venture through time -- of 200-year-old mansions and their eccentric owners, of fortunes in trade won and lost, of marvelous architecture from Federal to Victorian, of the once-bustling freedman community Herring Hill, of political intrigue, of green preservation and urban renewal. And, of course, no one can mention Georgetown without the Kennedys. In the 1950s John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline almost single-handedly turned the neighborhood into the city’s politically fashionable place to live. We’ll point out the houses of the movers and shakers, as well as the remarkable historic properties here that are open to the public (and, yes, The Exorcist steps!). This two-hour, two-mile tour winds up in Georgetown’s shopping and restaurant district just in time for lunch. Or if you’re on a roll, we can point you to the C&O Canal, a historic and bucolic waterway.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Washington Walks and led by Washington Walks tour guide Amy Kunz.
Note: Be prepared to climb a hill or two.

Sunday, September 30
10 am-12:30 pm

Shaw: Where DC Comes Together, Part 1

Meet at The Historical Society of Washington, DC/Carnegie Library, 801 K St., NW. End at Azi's Cafe, 1336 Ninth St., NW.
Neighborhood: Mount Vernon Triangle to Shaw

Nearest Metro Start: Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center or Gallery Pl-Chinatown
Nearest Metro End: Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center or Shaw-Howard-U

Fitness: Low, 18 blocks
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Audio Enhancer
No reservations required. 

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

Shaw has always been the crossroads of Washington, DC. Today, the Washington Convention Center dominates Shaw’s southern half, which once consisted of woods and a few farms. Notable historic figures who have lived and worked in lower central Shaw include explorer John Wesley Powell, African American U.S. Senator Blanche K. Bruce, and historian Carter G. Woodson. This tour includes visits to view selected building interiors.

Presented by Shaw Main Streets and led by Shaw Main Streets Executive Director Alexander M. Padro. 

Sunday, September 30
10:30 am-12:30 pm

The Sylvan Suburb of Takoma Park

Meet at the Takoma Park Metro station entrance, 327 Cedar St., NW. End at Takoma Park Farmer's Market.
Neighborhood: Takoma

Nearest Metro Start: Takoma
Nearest Metro End:   Takoma

Fitness: Low, 1.5 miles
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

Explore the residential and commercial origins of DC's first railroad suburb, founded in 1883 by developer B.F. Gilbert. Like the original land purchase, this tour spans both sides of the DC/Maryland line, including a stop at the original 1791 boundary stone. Other landmarks in this sylvan suburb include the 1911 Carnegie branch library, Takoma Theatre, the elegant Cady-Lee Victorian plus examples of the four-squares and bungalows built by the Takoma Park's first residents.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Historic Takoma, Inc. and led by volunteer tour guide Diana Kohn.

Sunday, September 30
10:30 am-12:30 pm

Dupont Circle

Meet outside Dupont Circle Metro station, North exit, 1525 20th St., NW.
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle

Nearest Metro Start: Dupont Circle, North exit
Nearest Metro End:   Dupont Circle

Fitness: Low
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

Named for a scion of the prominent Delaware family, Dupont Circle evolved from a hardscrabble “wilderness” to become Washington’s most fashionable address at the close of the nineteenth-century. Today it is one of D.C.’s most vibrant neighborhoods and remains the heart of Washington’s LGBT community. Mansions and elegant row houses from the early 1900s remain, many as single family residences while others serve as museums, bed and breakfasts, embassies, or non-profit organizations. Take a look at the “brewmaster’s castle” and enjoy Dupont Circle itself where people watching and chess matches are favorite past times. Along the way, view The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a church that rose from the ashes to become a beacon of social activism, and a block of stunning row houses designed by one of D.C’s. most prolific architects. The walk concludes at the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Washington Walks and led by Washington Walks Founder Carolyn Crouch.

Sunday, September 30
12 noon-1:30 pm

Brookland: A Historic Overview

Meet and end at St. Anthony’s School, 3400 12th St., NE.
Neighborhood: Brookland

Nearest Metro Start: Brookland-CUA or 81 Metrobus to 12th Street
Nearest Metro End:   Brookland-CUA or 81 Metrobus to 12th Street

Fitness: Low, 1 mile
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

Explore the central Brookland district and learn the origins of this residential neighborhood. Glimpse important sites associated with Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (author of The Yearling), Robert Weaver (United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), Lorraine Hansberry (author of A Raisin in the Sun), and other famous Brookland residents; and learn the relationship between Catholic University, Howard University, and the neighborhood.

Presented by Brookland Tour Committee and led by long-time Brookland residents and committee members.

Note: Tour will be cancelled in case of rain. 

Sunday, September 30
12 noon-1:30 pm

Devil Dogs, Boxer Briefs, and DC's Deadliest Tragedy: Adams Morgan's Journey from Suburb to Anti-Suburb

Meet at 16th St. and Florida Ave., NW, by Heritage Trail Sign #1. End at 18th St. and Columbia Rd., NW, by Heritage Trail Sign #9.
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan

Nearest Metro Start: U Street/African American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo or Woodley Park-Adams Morgan-McPherson Square Circulator bus or S and 90 buses Metrobuses
Nearest Metro End: Woodley Park-Zoo-Adams Morgan or Woodley Park-Adams Morgan-McPherson Square Metro Circulator bus or 42, 90, L2 Metrobuses

Fitness: Low, 1 mile
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

Jimi Hendrix, a White House 2.0 to put Versailles to shame, pro-wrestling at the Harris Teeter, and DC's greatest single-day peacetime loss of life are just some of the many things you’ll learn about and sights you’ll see as you follow this tour through the heart of Adams Morgan. You'll be fascinated to learn that DC's proudest hub of urban funkiness started its life as a suburb. Join us for quirky look at neighborhood history.

Presented by Josh Gibson, co-founder of the Adams Morgan Heritage Trail, co-author of "Adams Morgan: Then and Now," co-founder of the Adams Morgan listserv, founder of the Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District, and former 2.5 term ANC commissioner.

Note: Tour will be cancelled in case of rain.

Sunday, September 30
1-2:30 pm

Worthy Ambition: LeDroit Park/Bloomingdale Heritage Trail Preview (LeDroit Park Only)

Meet and end at the LeDroit Park arch at Sixth and T Sts., NW.
Neighborhood: LeDroit Park

Nearest Metro Start: Shaw–Howard U, Howard U exit or 70s, 90s Metrobuses
Nearest Metro End: Shaw–Howard U or 70s, 90s Metrobuses

Fitness: Low, 1 mile
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

Explore the unique architecture and historical figures of LeDroit Park durning this specail preview of Cultural Tourism DC’s LeDriot Park/Bloomingdale Heritage Trail, which is currently in development. The neighborhood was developed in 1873 as an exclusive white suburban enclave just beyond the boundaries of the original city. Learn about the neighborhood's transition in the early 19th century to home of Washington's black intelligentsia. Neighborhood notables included Dr. Anna J. Cooper, Mayor Walter Washington, Sen. Edward Brooke, Rep. Oscar De Priest, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Mary Church Terrell, Duke Ellington, and Rev. Jesse Jackson, among others. See unique 19th-century houses built in 12 distinct architectural styles ranging from Second Empire to Italian villa styles. Many of these original house designs appear nowhere else in Washington.

Presented by LeDroit Park Civic Association and led by Vice President Eric Fidler.

Sunday, September 30
1-3:30 pm

Shaw: Where DC Comes Together, Part 2

Meet at the Northwest corner of Seventh and R Sts., NW. End at Nellie's Sports Bar, 900 U St., NW.
Neighborhood: Shaw to U Street

Nearest Metro Start: Shaw-Howard U
Nearest Metro End: U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo 

Fitness: Low, 18 blocks
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Audio Enhancer
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

Entertainment has long been the focus of central Shaw’s northern half – from the Howard Theater, where every star in the black entertainment pantheon performed, to the pool hall where Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington decided to become a musician, to the two sites that hosted baseball teams. Highlights include a renovated movie theater building and the city’s first African American YWCA.

Presented by Shaw Main Streets and led by Shaw Main Streets Executive Director Alexander M. Padro. 

Sunday, September 30
2-4 pm

Georgetown

Meet in the park at 28th St. and Pennsylvania Ave., NW, next to the gas station. End near 34th and M Sts., NW.
Neighborhood: Georgetown

Nearest Metro Start: Foggy Bottom or Georgetown-Union Station Circulator bus
Nearest Metro End: Foggy Bottom or Georgetown-Union Station Circulator bus

Fitness: Moderate, 1.3 miles
Reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History

To put it simply, a walk through Washington’s tony Georgetown neighborhood is a venture through time -- of 200-year-old mansions and their eccentric owners, of fortunes in trade won and lost, of marvelous architecture from Federal to Victorian, of the once-bustling freedman community Herring Hill, of political intrigue, of green preservation and urban renewal. And, of course, no one can mention Georgetown without the Kennedys. In the 1950s John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline almost single-handedly turned the neighborhood into the city’s politically fashionable place to live. We’ll point out the houses of the movers and shakers, as well as the remarkable historic properties here that are open to the public (and, yes, The Exorcist steps!). This two-hour, two-mile tour winds up in Georgetown’s shopping and restaurant district just in time for lunch. Or if you’re on a roll, we can point you to the C&O Canal, a historic and bucolic waterway.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Washington Walks and led by Washington Walks tour guide Amy Kunz.
Note: Be prepared to climb a hill or two.

Sunday, September 30
3-5 pm

A Fitting Tribute: The Logan Circle Neighborhood Heritage Trail - A Preview

Meet at the fountain outside the Q Street entrance of the Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St., NW. End at the corner of 14th St. and Rhode Island Ave., NW.
Neighborhood: Logan Circle

Nearest Metro Start: Dupont Circle or Woodley Park-Adams Morgan-McPherson Square Circulator bus
Nearest Metro End:   Dupont Circle

Fitness: Moderate, 1.5 miles
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

The Civil War nearly ruined Washington, DC, but the city survived the battles; scarred but not torn apart. A Fitting Tribute leads you through the Logan Circle neighborhood named after the man who proclaimed May 30, 1868, Memorial Day and led the decoration of graves in Arlington Cemetery as "a fitting tribute" to the memory of those who died to defend the Union. John A. Logan is one of several people that you will come to know through a tour that introduces you to the array of individuals, community facts and neighborhood legends that make the Logan Circle neighborhood one of DC's most storied communities. Come and see how a community survived the battles of a nation at war and later, a city in transition to emerge as a thriving place for residents, artists, businesses and visitors.

Presented by Cultural Tourism DC member organization Logan Circle Community Association and led by Association President Tim Christensen.

Note about directions: From Dupont Circle Metro station, North exit at 20th and Q Sts., NW, turn right off the escalator and cross Connecticut Ave., NW. Continue 3-1/2 blocks to 16th and Q Sts., NW. From McPherson Square Metro station, White House exit.

Sunday, September 30
3:30-5:30 pm

Worthy Ambition: LeDroit Park/Bloomingdale Heritage Trail Preview (LeDroit Park Only)

Meet and end at the LeDroit Park arch at Sixth and T Sts., NW.
Neighborhood: LeDroit Park

Nearest Metro Start: Shaw–Howard U, Howard U exit or 70s, 90s Metrobuses
Nearest Metro End:   Shaw–Howard U or 70s, 90s Metrobuses

Fitness: Low, 1 mile
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
No reservations required.

Tour Theme: Neighborhood History, Cultural Tourism DC Neighborhood Heritage Trail

Explore the unique architecture and historical figures of LeDroit Park durning this specail preview of Cultural Tourism DC’s LeDriot Park/Bloomingdale Heritage Trail, which is currently in development. The neighborhood was developed in 1873 as an exclusive white suburban enclave just beyond the boundaries of the original city. Learn about the neighborhood's transition in the early 19th century to home of Washington's black intelligentsia. Neighborhood notables included Dr. Anna J. Cooper, Mayor Walter Washington, Sen. Edward Brooke, Rep. Oscar De Priest, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Mary Church Terrell, Duke Ellington, and Rev. Jesse Jackson, among others. See unique 19th-century houses built in 12 distinct architectural styles ranging from Second Empire to Italian villa styles. Many of these original house designs appear nowhere else in Washington.

Presented by LeDroit Park Civic Association and led by Vice President Eric Fidler.